Knaphill 2-2 Lordswood

Knaphill 2 – 2 Lordswood
Location	Brookwood Country Park, Redding Way, Knaphill, Woking, Surrey GU21 2AY
Kickoff	10/08/2021 19:45

KNAPHILL  2-2  LORDSWOOD
(after extra time – Knaphill win 4-3 on penalties)
The Emirates FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round Replay
Tuesday 10 August 2021
Stephen McCartney reports from Redding Way

LORDSWOOD were dumped out of The FA Cup at the first hurdle after suffering penalty shoot-out heartbreak by losing to Knaphill at Redding Way.
 

The two sides played out a goal-less draw at Martyn Grove at the weekend and Jamie Daltrey and John Cook’s side raced into a 2-0 lead inside the opening 27 minutes tonight with Knaphill attacking midfielder Harrison Livingstone converting the first penalty of the night before centre-half Lloyd Connelly punished some poor goalkeeping.

However, Neil Hunter’s Lordswood put in a vastly improved performance during a one-sided second half and deservedly forced their way back into this Extra Preliminary Round Replay in Surrey.

Central midfielder Daniel Smith drove his penalty straight down the middle before substitute striker Zachary Jakubowski volleyed past the keeper just 59 seconds later to take the game to extra-time, with Knaphill hanging on against their visitors’ from Medway.

However, neither side could find a winner – with Lordswood the team most likely to score – but winger Kyle McDowell and substitute midfielder Callum Rollings both missing in the penalty shoot-out for Lordswood, as Knaphill grabbed the victory 4-3 after 10 penalties.

Both of these clubs were second-from-bottom in their respective leagues as Knaphill lost 3-1 at Colliers Wood United in the Combined Counties League Premier Division South, while Lordswood lost to both Erith Town (4-1) and Deal Town (3-0) in the Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division.

This was Hunter’s 19 game in charge of Lordswood, having taken over at the start of the curtailed 2020-21 season and his side have won only two and drawn four and lost 13 games in League, FA Cup and FA Vase, and they extended their winless run to 11 games if you take into account last season’s results too.

Lordswood’s relegation form was carried over into the first-half here tonight as they failed to make simple passes to a team-mate and Knaphill bossed the middle of the park with Kieron Brown and Smith out of their depth.

However, Smith’s performance improved as soon as Rollings joined him in the middle of the park in the 65^th minute, replacing the struggling Brown.

Livingstone twice tried his luck with shots from outside of the Lordswood box inside the opening six minutes – but both sides failed to impress during a sub-standard first-half.

Lordswood’s passing was not up to scratch as even simple passes were going to Knaphill’s players.

For example, Lordswood central midfielder Jake Creed gave the ball away cheaply to Webeley Assis, a free-kick inside the centre-circle, failing to play a 10-yard pass to his centre-half Alex Taylor.

The wideman charged towards the penalty area and played the ball on the outside to Livingstone but centre-half Nathan Hunter slid in to make a vital block to get Creed out of a hole.

Knaphill took a deserved lead in the 13^th minute when their left-back Mark Primett easily rode McDowell’s tackle on the half-way line down the left wing before releasing striker Danny Taylor, who cut into the box and Nathan Hunter came across him to slide into him and bringing him down.

Nathan Hunter and Alex Taylor were both living on a tightrope as Lordswood’s two centre-halves were sitting on a yellow card inside the opening 20 minutes.

Livingstone’s right-footed penalty nestled inside the bottom left-hand corner, despite visiting goalkeeper Henry Lovering diving to his right and getting a hand to the penalty.

The experiment of playing a centre-half (Charlie Plummer) as a lone striker failed to work for Lordswood, although he had a couple of half-chances to score from corners.

Wideman Jack Muir swung the ball in and Plummer’s first attempt, a hooked volley at the near-post was blocked from within a crowd of players inside the Knaphill box, before the emergency target-man steered his header harmlessly wide at the near post as goalkeeper Chris Harris rose both of his hands up in an attempt to punch the ball away.

A free-kick from Knaphill’s right-back Reisse Griffin released Danny Taylor down the right and he rode a tackle from Muir before finding Assis at the near post but all the winger could do was steer his header over the top of the near post from six-yards.

Knaphill were gifted their second goal, however, in the 27^th minute, by Lordswood’s debutant goalkeeper Lovering, 17, who came in to the side as Lee Kidman was ruled out through work commitments.

McDowell tripped Owen Tanner down the left channel and Connor Holland swung the resulting free-kick towards the goalkeeper at his near post.

However, Lovering was not put under any pressure and inexplicably dropped the ball and Connelly pounced on the loose ball by rifling it into the roof of the net.

Lovering, however, made a confidence boosting save just a couple of minutes before the interval.

Livingstone broke and Nathan Hunter let the ball flash under his feet and this opened the door for Assis down the left.

The winger teed up Livingstone, who drilled a first-time drive from 25-yards, which Lovering plucked the ball out of the air above his head for a comfortable catch.

At the start of the second half, Lordswood boss Neil Hunter put Plummer in his correct position as a centre-half alongside Alex Taylor but the introduction of striker Jakubowski played a key role in Lordswood dominating the second-half and fighting back.

Lordswood were the better side and Knaphill couldn’t live with the direct approach from the Kent side.

Six minutes in, Smith played the ball out to Muir on the right and he cut inside the left-back (Primett) before unleashing a right-footed drive from 30-yards, which was plucked out of the air by Knaphill keeper Chris Harris.

It seemed liked Knaphill had declared at the interval thinking the job was done and Lordswood sensed blood.

The impressive Jakubowski released McDowell down the right and his centre should have been tucked home by Brown but Harris wanted the ball more inside his box and gobbled up the ball.

Jakubowski delivered a deep cross from 30-yards, which was destined to sail into the top far corner, forcing Harris to stretch high to his right to flick the ball behind for a corner on the hour-mark.

Muir whipped in the resulting corner from the left towards the far post for Alex Taylor, who steered his header past the far post.

Lordswood’s dominance was rewarded when they pulled a goal back in the 69^th minute from the penalty spot.

Griffin made a mistake as he failed to cut out a deep diagonal pass from within his right-back position and this let in Muir, who cut inside towards the by-line and was brought down by Griffin just inside the box.

Smith kept his composure and drove his right-footed penalty straight down the middle, as Knaphill’s goalkeeper dived to his right.

Lordswood turned the game around by deservedly equalising just 59 seconds later, with 20 minutes of normal time remaining.

They produced a sweeping raid with Zakubowski taking the bull by the horns and playing the ball into Rollings, who released Muir down the left-hand side of the penalty area and his cross was precise and teed up Zakubowski, who controlled the ball under his spell before flicking the ball past the advancing goalkeeper.

Knaphill were now on the ropes and didn’t know what hit them before weathering the storm for a short period before Lordswood should have win it inside the final four minutes from a set-piece.

Creed’s corner from the left found Alex Taylor in a pocket of space and his glancing header sailed over the goalkeeper’s left shoulder before bouncing off the crossbar.

Smith exploded into life and drilled a right-footed angled drive towards the bottom far corner from 18-yards, the ball taking a deflection and flashing just past the foot of the far post but Lordswood had the momentum going into extra-time.

However, Knaphill had the first opening when substitute midfielder Wayne Ridgley took a touch before drilling his right-footed drive just over the crossbar from 35-yards after just 45 seconds.

Primett played the ball out wide to substitute left-winger Timmy Taylor, but his left-footed angled drive took a deflection from outside of the Lordswood box and was held by Lovering.

Plummer launched a ball over the top of Daniel Udanoh (centre-half) and Primett, who both stopped and this let in Jakubowski, who initially hesitated, before latching onto the long ball before hitting a low right-footed angled drive, which forced Harris to dive to his right and gather at thew second attempt.

Lordswood created a good opening after only 104 seconds into the second period when Creed’s long ball split open the home side’s two central defenders but Jakubowski was denied by a fine block from Harris, who raced out towards the edge of his penalty area to keep Knaphill in contention.

Lordswood couldn’t find a third goal that their attacking dominance deserved and Knaphill held their nerve from the penalty spot to send them to Isthmian League South Central side Ashford Town (Middlesex) in The FA Cup Preliminary Round on Saturday 21 August.

Lordswood stepped up first with Smith keeping composed to send his right-footed penalty straight down the middle, with the keeper diving to his left.

Holland positioned the ball on the spot with his back to goal and then turned before running up to the ball to smack his right-footed penalty against the crossbar as he attempted to aim for the top-left-hand corner.

Lordswood’s right-back, Joshua Gilbert smashed his right-footed penalty against the base of the left-hand post.

Knaphill tied things up at 1-1 when substitute Timmy Taylor rifled his left-footed penalty in to the roof of the net, despite Lovering diving the right way.

Lordswood took a 2-1 lead when Creed smashed his right-footed penalty straight down the middle, as Harris dived to his left.

Knaphill levelled through substitute Jack Williamson, whose attempt nestled into the bottom right-hand corner, sending the keeper the wrong way.

Rollings handed Knaphill the advantage as Lordswood’s fourth attempt was gobbled up by Harris, as he moved to his right as the midfielder attempted to find the bottom left-hand corner. 

Knaphill took the lead for the first time when Finley Warren got a piece of luck as his right-footed penalty saw Lovering dive to his right and got a hand to the shot but failed to prevent the ball nestling into the bottom left-hand corner.

The score was 3-3 after the ninth penalty when Lordswood’s Hamilton buried his left-footed penalty into the bottom right-hand corner.

Knaphill grabbed the victory when substitute Wayne Ridgley held his nerve by slotting his right-footed penalty straight down the middle as Lovering stepped to his left.

Knaphill: Chris Harris, Reisse Griffin, Mark Primett, Owen Tanner (Wayne Ridgley 85), Lloyd Connelly, Daniel Udanoh, Webeley Assis (Jack Williamson 106), Finley Warren, Danny Taylor, Harrison Livingstone (Darren Thomas 68, Timmy Taylor 90)), Connor Holland.

Goals: Harrison Livingstone 13 (penalty), Lloyd Connelly 27

Booked: Owen Tanner 55, Webeley Assis 85, Mark Primett 111

Lordswood: Henry Lovering, Joshua Gilbert, George Sibley, Jake Creed, Alex Taylor, Nathan Hunter (Zachary Jakubowski 46), Jack Muir (Jake Hamilton 81), Kieron Brown (Callum Rollings 65), Charlie Plummer, Daniel Smith, Kyle McDowell.
Subs: Lewis Stevens-Sutton, Oscar Smitherman, Alfie Lapper, Gideon Ssonko

Goals: Daniel Smith 69 (penalty), Zachary Jakubowski 70

Booked: Nathan Hunter 13, Alex Taylor 20, Callum Rollings 83, Kyle McDowell 90, Jake Creed 118

Attendance: 164
Referee: Mr Scott Crowhurst
Assistants: Mr Matthew Leary & Mr Jason Smith